Community Learns About Innovations in Shoulder Replacements

DELAND, Fla., March 21, 2018 On March 16, nearly 75 community members joined Florida Hospital DeLand for a physician-led seminar on shoulder pain at the Victoria Gardens Clubhouse in DeLand.

Over a healthy lunch, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Brandon Steen discussed common problems of the shoulder, whether caused by sports, a traumatic injury, or age.

As a former collegiate pitcher for the Ohio State University Buckeyes, Steen is no stranger to shoulder pain. His first-hand experience with sports-related injuries and rehabilitation piqued his interest in medicine and orthopedics early on during college.

Shoulder pain has an extremely wide spectrum and all patients with shoulder pain cannot all be treated the same, as patients experience unique outcomes, he said.

During the seminar, Steen identified six main factors to consider when evaluating patients for shoulder pain, including the patients age, other illnesses such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes, the size of the rotator cuff tear, the amount of time the tear has been present, arthritis, and pseudoparalysis, which is a voluntary restriction of motion due to pain.

Shoulder pain is very common due to rotator cuff tears. Its so common, in fact, that by age of 60, over 50 percent of people have a tear, and by age 80, about 75 percent of people have tear. However, not all need surgery, he said.

There are a multitude of reasons why the rotator cuff tears, Steen explained during the event. It could be caused by trauma or repetitive activity, or even a poor blood supply to the tendon.

Some patients with rotator cuff tears do not have pain, although most patients will eventually have pain, he said. Rotator cuff tears do not heal on their own and they can get larger over time, so it is important to see your doctor if you are experiencing any symptoms.

About Florida Hospital DeLand

Florida Hospital DeLand is a member of Adventist Health System, a faith-based health care organization with 45 hospital campuses and 8,200 licensed beds in nine states, serving more than 5 million patients annually. With a mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ, Florida Hospital DeLand has 164-beds and is one of the seven Florida Hospitals in Flagler, Lake and Volusia counties that composes the Florida Hospital Central Florida Division - North Region. As the largest hospital system in the area, the Florida Hospital Central Florida Division - North Region has 1,226 beds and more than 7,800 employees.